Seizures represent a clinical manifestation of an abnormal and excessive excitation and synchronization of cortical neurons. The clinical manifestation of a seizure consists of sudden and transitory abnormal phenomena which may include alterations of consciousness, motor, sensory, autonomic, or psychic events perceived by the patient or an observer.
Seizures disorders can be associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain resulting in temporary loss of consciousness, body convulsions changes in muscle tone, unusual movements and staring spells, all of which affect daily activities and the health of the affected individual (adults and children).
Seizure type and other factors could influence seizure duration. Most seizures last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes and do not cause lasting harm. However, there are also extreme forms of seizures that are prolonged and are considered as is a life-threatening medical and neurologic emergency.
Seizures can have many causes, including medicines, high fevers, head injuries and certain diseases. People who have recurring seizures due to a brain disorder have epilepsy.
The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) defines the following:
“Epileptic Disorder”—a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures.
“Epilepsies”—those conditions involving chronic recurrent epileptic seizures that can be considered epileptic disorders.
“Epileptic seizure”—Manifestation(s) of epileptic (excessive and/or hypersynchronous), usually self-limited activity of neurons in the brain.
At least two unprovoked seizures are required for the diagnosis of epilepsy. This definition stress that the patient had the potential for more seizures and excludes seizures due to exogenous factors such as drug withdrawal.
Seizures are divided into categories based on the general behavior, symptoms and brain activity. There are several different types of seizures that fall under the following categories:                (1) Partial (seizures beginning locally)—A seizure whose initial semiology indicates, or is consistent with, initial activation of only part of one cerebral hemisphere.        (2) Generalized (bilaterally symmetric, without localized onset)—A seizure whose initial semiology indicates, or is consistent with, more than minimal involvement of both cerebral hemispheres. Generalized seizures may be subdivided to convulsive or non-convulsive seizures.        (3) Unclassified seizures—This category listed in the ILAE's Classification of Epileptic Seizures include all seizures that defy classification due to incomplete data. An example is seizure in infancy, which may involve chewing, swimming movements, eye movements and have not yet been subtyped.        
Current treatments for seizure disorders include antiepileptic drugs (AED). However, such treatments can result in unwanted side-effects and may not treat the underlying cause of the seizure disorder.
In light of the emerging functional foods category in the area of dietary lipids, many health benefits have been attributed to the consumption of certain fatty acids. For example, it has been reported in many research studies that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of the type omega-3 have several health benefits on cardiovascular disease (CVD), immune disorders, inflammation, renal disorders, allergies, diabetes, cancer and brain development and function. These types of fatty acids are naturally occurring mainly in fish, algae, and other marine products.
The professional literature emphasizes the importance of an adequate diet containing omega-3 fatty acids. Two very important omega-3 PUFA are Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) which modulate both metabolic and immune processes and confer health benefits in areas of CVD and brain development and health.
In addition to enhancing cardiovascular health, EPA and DHA have been shown to beneficially affect mood disorders, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, anxiety, sleep disturbance, libido, suicidality, Perinatal Depression, Bipolar Disorder, attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette.
DHA has been also suggested as a possible therapy to epilepsy due to its high safety profile. In vitro cell culture studies have demonstrated that unesterified DHA increases the threshold of action potential and reduces neuronal excitability in hippocampal slices.
A recent study by Trepanier, et al., demonstrated that unesterified omega-3 specifically DHA has anticonvulsant properties when administrated subcutaneous. Unesterified DHA increased seizure latencies in the maximal pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) seizure test. The researches demonstrated in male wistar rats that the optimal dose of unesterified DHA that increases seizure latencies is 400 mg/kg (Human Equivalent Dosage-3819 mg). Administration of 300 mg/kg EPA (Human Equivalent Dosage-2918 mg) together with Valproate, a known drug for the treatment of epilepsy with severe adverse events reveled alleviation of some of the adverse events as hepatotoxicity. Lower dose of EPA did not reveal the same effect.
In summary, in pre-clinical models it was suggested that high dosages of omega-3 fatty acids, may be beneficial for the treatment of epilepsy i.e. reducing the adverse event of anti-epileptic drugs or regulating seizure latencies.
Other lipid components which are presumed to be beneficial in a wide array of conditions are phospholipids. Phospholipids are key components of the lipid bilayer of cells, and are involved in cell metabolism and signaling. The hydroxyl groups of the glycerol backbone of phospholipids are substituted by a hydrophilic phosphate head and hydrophobic tail composed of non-polar fatty acids. Phospholipids may be subdivided into distinct classes, based on the nature of the polar head group such as for example: phosphatidylcholine (also known as PC or lecithin), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylserine (PS). In addition to serving as a primary component of cellular membranes and binding sites for intracellular and intercellular proteins, some phospholipids, such as phosphatidylinositols and phosphatidic acids are either precursors of, or are themselves, membrane-derived second messengers. Studies have shown that PS and PC enhance neuronal membrane function and improve memory skills. PS was found to have a beneficial effect in ADHD, depression, and chronic stress. In addition, PC was found to reduce emotional symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.
Apparently, the origin of the phospholipids and their fatty acid content influence their activity. For example, the bio-functionality of soybean PS in the improvement of cognitive function has been shown to be different from that of other types of PS [WO 2005/037848]. In addition, it was demonstrated that different ratios of specific fatty acids conjugated to PS can influence the efficacy of the PS in improving cognitive functions in elderly subjects with impaired cognitive performance [WO 2009/156991].
It is thus beneficial to apply the appropriate type of PS preparation for the specific indication.